Modern lighting in the library and a new roof for the sports centre: In total, the university and the state of Lower Saxony are investing around 850,000 euros in a better energy balance. Something is also happening at Jade University.
The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science (MWK) has approved a total of 425,000 euros for energy-related refurbishment work at the University of Oldenburg. The university will raise the same amount from its own funds, meaning that almost 850,000 euros will be channelled into energy-saving measures over the coming months.
At the Jade University of Applied Sciences, for whose building management the university is also responsible, the MWK is investing a total of around 286,000 euros at the Oldenburg and Wilhelmshaven campuses. The state and Jade University are topping up this amount to a total of 910,000 euros from additional funds. The MWK has approved 16 measures across the state as part of the GESA programme. The University of Oldenburg's building management was able to convince both the university and the Jade University of Applied Sciences with three projects each.
"The University of Oldenburg has relied on strategic energy management for years and has already realised numerous energy-saving measures. The current success in acquiring funding will help us to continue on this path consistently," emphasised Jörg Stahlmann, Vice President for Administration and Finance at the university.
The university can use the funds to completely renovate the flat roof of the sports centre on the Haarentor campus and at the same time renew the thermal insulation. The two other approved refurbishment measures also promise lower energy costs for the university. The lights in the entire central library on the Haarentor campus and along the university's paths and roads will be replaced over the course of 2018. In future, only LED lights are to be used, which are significantly more efficient than the current lighting, which is already in need of refurbishment. "We expect the investment to pay for itself in less than ten years," says Meik Möllers, Head of University Building Management. The total investment for the library amounts to around 290,000 euros and around 180,000 euros for the path and street lighting.
The lighting in several buildings at Jade University is also being modernised to improve energy efficiency and five ventilation systems in the technical research facilities are being renovated at a cost of around 640,000 euros. "By working towards the climate goals, we can also realise urgently needed technical renovations that directly benefit teaching," emphasises Markus Wortmann, Full-time Vice President for Human Resources, Finance and Real Estate at Jade University.
The GESA programme is based on the "Act on the Establishment of a Special Fund to Catch Up on Investments through Energy-Related Refurbishment and Infrastructure Renovation of State Assets". The MWK is distributing around 5.6 million euros to universities in Lower Saxony in 2017.
